Germany rakes millions in taxes from pet dogs in 2023

Admin I Tuesday, October 08, 2024

 

BERLIN – Germany’s local tax on pet dogs again brought in revenues last year of €421 million ($653 million), which tops the previous record from 2022, according to figures released on Tuesday.

Revenue from Germany’s dog tax has been steadily rising for the past decade, and has jumped 41% between 2013 and 2023, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Between 2022 and 2023, collections rose by 1.6%.

Each municipality in Germany sets the exact rate for the dog tax individually, and the fees can vary depending on the number of dogs in a household or the breed of dog.

A survey by the German Pet Trade and Industry Association (ZZF) and the German Pet Supplies Industry Association (IVH) estimated that were around 10.5 million dogs living in households in Germany last year.

The agency, however, noted that other costs of keeping dogs have risen recently. Dog and cat food prices, for instance, rose by an average of nearly 17% in 2023 – far higher than the overall inflation rate of 5.9%.